
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Kenya is experiencing a nationwide power blackout following a “system disturbance,” according to a statement Saturday from the nation’s lone electricity provider, as efforts to restore power continue—though the company has provided little information about the outage.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Kenya Power, which provides a bulk of its power through Kenya Electricity Generating Company, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KenyaPower_Care/status/1632042740035862530" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>&nbsp;Saturday it had “lost bulk power supply to various parts of the country due to a system disturbance.”</p>



<p>Power has been restored to some parts of Eldoret, Kisumu and Nakuru, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/KenyaPower_Care/status/1632064951056465925" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">added</a>, and said initial reports indicated a fault on the company’s high-voltage power transmission line caused the outage.</p>



<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/business/kenya/2023-03-03-ethiopia-saves-kenya-from-power-rationing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;by the Kenyan news agency The Star earlier this week suggests Kenya has faced a high demand amid a low supply of electricity over the last year, citing sources from Kenya Power.</p>



<p>The company noted it was working “to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>This is not the first time Kenya has faced a nationwide blackout. Kenya Power attributed a “system disturbance” during a blackout in November, 10 months after another blackout was caused by a severed high-voltage transmission line connection between its capital, Nairobi, and a hydroelectric dam,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/system-disturbance-causes-power-outage-across-parts-kenya-distributor-2022-11-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according&nbsp;</a>to Reuters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>56.2 million. That’s the estimated population of Kenya, <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/KE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a> to the United Nations. The nation’s largest city, Nairobi, last reported an estimated population of 4.3 million people in 2019.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>South African President Cyril Ramphosa declared a nationwide “state of disaster” last month as that country also faces an electricity crisis, causing it to endure daily power outages of up to 10 hours,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/world/africa/south-africa-power-energy-crisis.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the&nbsp;<em>New York Times</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-hit-by-nationwide-power-outage-2023-03-04/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kenya Hit By Nationwide Power Outage</a> (<em>Reuters</em>)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/"></a><strong><em>By Ty Roush, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Silhouette Skyscrapers Against Orange Sky

This African Country Of Millions Is Without Power—Here’s What We Know


<p><strong>Startups are aiming to solve big problems for agriculture, including labor and water shortages, climate-driven headaches and declining bee populations, by deploying artificial intelligence, autonomous driving technology and robotics.</strong></p>



<p>f the vast farms of the Midwest are America’s breadbasket, California is its produce department. But the country’s biggest producer of fresh fruits and vegetables is in trouble, threatened by shortages of farm labor and water and rising temperatures due to climate change.</p>



<p>To combat these challenges—if a growing number of startups have their way—California’s fields and orchards will soon be staffed by autonomous flying drones that pluck fruit and nuts from trees, electric self-driving tractors that monitor each row for weeds and crop health and pollinating bees that make their homes on the farm in robotic hives. These futuristic-sounding technologies aren’t decades away —they’re deployed in the field right now.</p>



<p>“That’s the only commercially available electric autonomous vehicle you can buy today,” says Praveen Penmetsa, CEO and cofounder of Monarch, pointing to one of his MK-V tractors as it does test loops through a faux orchard for onlookers at World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, last month. His Livermore, California-based startup, which has raised about $110 million and counts wine scion Carlos Mondavi as a cofounder, started selling its $89,000 self-driving tractors last year, which are outfitted with sensors to monitor crop health.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/6401141f3e8031931c058201/robot-farm-tech/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&amp;width=960" alt="robot_farm_tech" width="-216" height="-216"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Monarch Tractor&#8217;s electric, autonomous MK-V is equipped with technology found on self-driving cars.<small>ZUMAPRESS/NEWSCOM</small></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“Whether it&#8217;s labor or water, or even fertilizers and pesticides, those are all resources that are very expensive. With our tractor, with the data we&#8217;re collecting, (farmers) can be more efficient with all those resources,” Penmetsa told&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>. “Instead of one driver sitting on a tractor going up and down a row, that same driver can manage three or four tractors at a time and finish the operation faster.”</p>



<p>The urgency to solve long-term challenges for food production coincides with AI-enabled tech advances — the same underlying tech that has automated factories and wowed millions with its ability to generate fanciful text and images (as well as promises to make robotaxis and self-driving semis a reality in the years ahead). And while venture funding has cooled for many emerging technologies, AG tech remains a money magnet, vacuuming up $10.6 billion from investors in 988 deals last year, according to PitchBook.</p>



<p>California, led by its highly productive San Joaquin Valley farms, last year generated more than $51 billion of revenue from grapes, almonds, peaches, lettuce, carrots and other high-value crops, or 12% of total U.S. agricultural production by value, according to the <a href="https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=17844#P32c32cdfed1241fb81d9443323da4aac_28_251iT0R0x29" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USDA</a>. That’s far ahead of states synonymous with farming like Iowa and Nebraska. But finding enough people to work the fields grows harder year after year, particularly with the drop in migrant farm labor resulting from stricter border controls. The problem was glaringly apparent at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when ripe crops were<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2020/04/06/lettuce-left-to-die-in-california-fields-as-produce-demand-withers-under-covid-19/?sh=2742e5286428"> left to fallow</a> in the field because there weren’t enough workers to harvest them, triggering shortages of some products at supermarkets.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“Pretty much every year our members have been concerned about not being able to get enough people to do what they need to do or would like to be able to do.”</p>
<cite>C. Bryan Little, director of labor affairs, California Farm Bureau Federation</cite></blockquote>



<p>“The lack of products on grocery store shelves was not because farmers stopped growing crops and raising livestock to provide a food source for the country,” the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fb.org/focus-on-agriculture/labor-shortages-continue-to-impact-farmers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog</a>. “It was because every step of the supply chain lacked the labor needed to keep up with the demand.”</p>



<p>The problem is acute for California growers, who produce crops that are more labor-intense to harvest than the vast wheat and corn fields of the Midwest. “Pretty much every year our members have been concerned about not being able to get enough people to do what they need to do or would like to be able to do,” said C. Bryan Little, director of labor affairs for the California Farm Bureau Federation. That’s also made them receptive to labor-saving technology, like the use of machines that shake almond and pistachio trees starting about 20 years ago.</p>



<p>“California is the world&#8217;s primary producer of almonds now, and it used to be if you&#8217;re growing almonds you needed a crew of like 30 people with long sticks and bags to walk through the orchard and knock the almonds off the trees and then pick them up off the ground now,” Little said. “Now two or three people can do the work of 30.”</p>



<p>Monarch’s tractor, which has been working in Mondavi-owned vineyards since 2020, costs about twice as much as a similar-size diesel tractor. Penmetsa says savings on fuel and labor mean it pays for itself in about two years—and in California, it even qualifies for incentives for non-polluting ag equipment of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/2021-profiles-1/2021/4/27/farmer-heavy-duty-off-road-tractor-trade-up-projects-san-joaquin-valley" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as much as 80%</a>. Its cameras and software allow for precise watering and use of fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in further cost savings for growers, he said.</p>



<p>Backed by $110 million in funding from farm equipment maker CNH Industrial and VCs, including Trimble Ventures, At One Ventures, Tri-Valley Ventures and Western Technology Investment, the company is also moving fast to get them into widespread use. It’s licensed the technology to CNH and has a deal with Foxconn to rapidly boost production of MK-Vs at its Lordstown, Ohio, plant.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>While Monarch and other makers of robotic tractors, including industry heavyweight John Deere, are focused on crop maintenance and monitoring, Tevel Aerobotics Technologies is using autonomous technology to help with the harvest. The Israeli startup, which recently opened U.S. operations in the San Joaquin Valley, offers small flying, autonomous robots equipped with camera vision and algorithms to identify ripe fruit, pick it with a high-suction arm and gently deposit it into a conveyor.</p>



<p>In a demonstration at the expo, eight of the company’s “Alphabots” are tethered to the automated conveyor, picking and depositing one piece of fruit (including apples, peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines) every 2.5 seconds. The speed isn’t remarkable, but the system is designed to be precise and work round the clock, in light or darkness, something humans can’t do.</p>



<p>“Especially in California, with the labor laws, you can’t have pickers work more than eight hours a day,” said Ittai Marom, general manager of Tevel’s U.S. operations, as he watched the buzzy bots plucking apples that were attached with magnets to faux trees under a tent at the expo. “Working 24/7 is a game-changer to the entire chain.”</p>



<p>The first unit went into operation last year at HMC Farms, a large-scale fruit grower in Kingsburg, California, and Tevel’s flying harvesters are also headed for orchards in Italy and Washington. The cost of the unit, which is still being modified, will be “less than $200,000,” Marom said.</p>



<p>It’s also not intended to replace human labor but “fills in when a grower doesn&#8217;t have enough workers on a certain day or when two different plots are ripe for picking, and he doesn&#8217;t have enough people working at night or working overtime,” he said.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>human labor isn’t the only shortage for farmers. The dwindling bee population essential for pollination is becoming an even more fundamental crisis, especially for California’s fruit and nut farms. The problem of colony collapse disorder, where worker bees abandon their hive and queen, is linked to harm from pesticides, loss of habitat, threats from other species and poor nutrition, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pollinator-protection/colony-collapse-disorder#why%20it%20is%20happening" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. EPA</a>.</p>



<p>“We&#8217;re losing the bees on the planet, about 35% of the bee colonies every year,” said Saar Safra, CEO and cofounder of Beewise, which has raised $120 million to build robotic hives that grow bees in a safe, climate-controlled environment. “Considering the fact that bees pollinate 75% of all the fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts on the planet, losing 35% a year puts us in a bind.”</p>



<p>His startup, with operations split between Oakland and Oshrat, Israel, has so far deployed 1,000 of its robotic hives, powered by integrated solar panels. The metallic boxes, containing 10 individual bee colonies (which can each have up to 100,000 bees), are equipped with cameras and AI-enabled software to monitor their needs and health and precision robotics to provide food, water and eliminate pests that threaten the bees.</p>



<p>“Basically it does 97% of what a beekeeper would do in the field for the bees the robot does automatically,” Safra said. “We put these in the field and the bees do their thing. They pollinate, collect pollen, they produce honey. And when they come back home, we make sure they don&#8217;t collapse. It&#8217;s not too warm. It&#8217;s not too cold. It’s a five-star hotel for bees.”</p>



<p>In fact, the company estimates that it’s reduced the annual colony collapse rate to just 8% from that 35% average.</p>



<p>Beewise’s robot hives are rented out to growers during pollination season for specific crops, and rotated to other farms as growing seasons progress. Safra declined to discuss financials but plans to expand production to 10,000 hives annually from 1,000 a year currently and sees potential to create a “multibillion-dollar business.”</p>



<p>“The bees are strategic for us. If we continue losing bees at a 35% rate in 20 years we&#8217;ll buy a tomato for $100 and eat it for Friday dinner and all celebrate around that tomato. That&#8217;s where we&#8217;re headed.”</p>


Shortage Of Fruit Pickers Could Lead To Food Waste On British Farms

With Labor And Climate Challenges, Farmers Turn To Robot Beehives, Tractors And Fruit Pickers


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Sugar replacement erythritol has been coveted as a sugar substitute for those at high risk of heart issues—like diabetics and those with obesity—but a recent study found the sweetener may actually increase the chances of cardiovascular problems like blood clotting and heart attack.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02223-9.epdf?sharing_token=KJTdc_FhBxVrVbbHG0pJoNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MTnVt_Yzm2YDkmKtSZJOysYZlROr0ymfAdj9yPHH8bMVWpKjhPzPeMT8zTG9DpNMmnfRfOqNqOH8PhwI2X9sxfHMa-Tpawl-dyIWq9WdTUO2lqDJWIHLoFK3aG5AGi1YhdfPfP2x38lbPRVPI6w0kO8_L7jP9YHmDCKj_Sx0PBdg%3D%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.cnn.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in&nbsp;<em>Nature Medicine&nbsp;</em>on Monday found a link between erythritol and an increased risk of heart attack, blood clotting, stroke and death.</p>



<p>Erythritol, a white, crystalline powder, is used as an almost zero-calorie sugar replacement with sweetened monk fruit, stevia or ketogenic reduced-sugar products, according to a 2017 study published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012809438900003X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Science Direct</em></a><em>.</em></p>



<p>The Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/high-intensity-sweeteners" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">labels</a>&nbsp;erythritol as “generally recognized as safe,” meaning no long-term safety studies on its effects are required for its use.</p>



<p>People with preexisting conditions that put them at a higher risk for heart complications like diabetes may be twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack if they have high levels of erythritol in their bloodstream, the study reports.</p>



<p>Some of the notable foods erythritol is found in include Halo Top low-calorie ice cream, Bai antioxidant drinks and Blue Sky (a Coca-Cola brand) craft sodas.</p>



<p>Erythritol is also found naturally in mushrooms, fruits like grapes, watermelon, peaches and pears and in fermented foods like beer, soy sauce, wine, cheese and sake,&nbsp;<a href="https://foodinsight.org/what-is-erythritol/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to Food Insight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>The study authors wrote the heightened risk of heart problems from the use of erythritol is concerning because “the very patients for whom artificial sweeteners are marketed are those typically at higher risk for future [cardiovascular diseases] events.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>900,000. That’s how many deaths were attributed to cardiovascular disease (including strokes and heart attacks) in the U.S. in 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/heart-disease-and-stroke-statistics-2022-update" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the American Heart Association (AHA).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT ERYTHRITOL</h2>



<p>Erythritol is a part of a class of compounds called sugar alcohols (also known as polyols). These are carbs naturally found in fruits and vegetables. According to several&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/erythritol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a>, erythritol has about 70% of the sweetness of sugar, and has fewer calories than other sugar alcohols. For example,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/erythritol#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">compared</a>&nbsp;to table sugar, which has 4 calories per gram, xylitol (another sugar alcohol) has 2.4 calories per gram but erythritol has 0.24 calories per gram. Though it’s found naturally in small amounts in some foods, it’s often added to processed foods in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.academia.edu/35200188/Sweeteners_and_Sugar_Alternatives_in_Food_Technology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1,000 times</a>&nbsp;higher quantities. When made in large-scale production, it’s created when a type of yeast ferments glucose from wheat or corn starch, which results in powdery white crystals. Previous&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36615861/#:~:text=Evidence%20shows%20erythritol%20has%20potential,satiety%20to%20promote%20weight%20loss." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a>&nbsp;have found erythritol to be a good substitute for sugar, though most of the research was done on animals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">IS ERYTHRITOL SAFE TO CONSUME?</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/132946/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a>&nbsp;to the FDA, daily intake of erythritol in most Americans is estimated to be 30 grams per day. One 18 ounce bottle of Bai antioxidant cocofusion has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.drinkbai.com/cocofusions/molokai-coconut" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10 grams</a>&nbsp;of erythritol, and most Halo Top ice cream flavors&nbsp;<a href="https://halotop.com/dairy-ice-cream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">place</a>&nbsp;the sweetener among the top five most used ingredients by weight. But Stanley Hazen, the lead researcher on the&nbsp;<em>Nature Medicine&nbsp;</em>study and the director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Lerner Research Institute,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/health/zero-calorie-sweetener-heart-attack-stroke-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;CNN in regards to the dangers found, “the degree of risk was not modest.” John Hwa, a professor of cardiology at Yale School of Medicine told&nbsp;<em>Medical News Today</em>&nbsp;if cardiovascular risks are proven with more studies, “caution should be taken in cardiovascular risk patients who may already be prone to ‘extra-sticky’ platelets such as [people with diabetes].” Hwa recommends consulting with a doctor before consuming erythritol.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND METABOLIC DISEASES</h2>



<p><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/metabolicdisorders.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metabolic disorders</a>&nbsp;occur when the body’s metabolism is affected by abnormal chemical reactions, causing a patient to either have too much or too little of a substance needed to stay healthy. Some examples include diabetes, obesity, Gaucher’s disease, phenylketonuria and hemochromatosis. Patients with metabolic diseases are frequently told by medical professionals the use of artificial sweeteners in place of sugar can help with weight loss and improve&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907982/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glycemic control</a>&nbsp;(maintaining blood glucose levels in diabetics, which in turn leads to the reduction of long-term complications). Even the AHA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0b013e31825c42ee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommends</a>&nbsp;the use of artificial sweeteners to reduce Americans’ added sugar intakes. But the&nbsp;<em>Nature Medicine&nbsp;</em>study acknowledges “little is known” about the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on cardiometabolic disease risks. And the use of artificial sweeteners has been linked to&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/qjmed/article/110/8/513/3574201" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3576" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type two diabetes</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522029641?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insulin resistance</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular disease</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/27/health/zero-calorie-sweetener-heart-attack-stroke-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds</a>&nbsp;(CNN)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2023/03/01/some-not-so-sweet-news-about-sugar-substitutes/?sh=1d2098c97367">Some Not-So-Sweet News About Sugar Substitutes</a>&nbsp;(Forbes</p>



<p><a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/common-sweetener-erythritol-tied-to-higher-risk-of-stroke-and-heart-attack" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Common sweetener erythritol tied to higher risk of stroke and heart attack</a> (Medical News Today)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Arianna Johnson, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Selective focus of a bottle of pure erythritol artificial sweetener sugar substitute. White laboratory background with copy space.

New Warning About Zero-Calorie Sugar Substitute: What Experts Are Saying About Erythritol


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline"><a href="https://policies.google.com/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a>TOPLINE</h2>



<p>FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News on Tuesday he believes the Covid-19 pandemic was likely the result<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/02/26/covid-likely-originated-from-lab-leak-energy-department-reportedly-finds-but-biden-aide-says-theres-no-definitive-answer/?sh=14ba5c281109">&nbsp;of a laboratory leak</a>&nbsp;in Wuhan, China, backing up recent reports that two federal agencies—the FBI and the Department of Energy—now believe the once widely dismissed conclusion.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Wray told Fox News’ Bret Baier the FBI “has for quite some time now” assessed that Covid was caused by a lab leak.</p>



<p>Wray did not go into details about how the assessment was made, claiming, “there&#8217;s not a whole lot of details I can share that aren&#8217;t classified.”</p>



<p>The conclusion was reached without the cooperation of the Chinese government, which “has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here,” Wray said</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“You&#8217;re talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab that killed millions of Americans,” Wray told Fox News.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-origin-china-lab-leak-807b7b0a?mod=hp_lead_pos1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Wall Street Journal</em></a>&nbsp;reported Sunday that the FBI and Energy Department had both determined a lab leak to be the most likely origin, though the FBI finding was of “moderate confidence” and the Energy Department’s confidence was “low.” The FBI reached that determination in 2021, the&nbsp;<em>Journal&nbsp;</em>reported. At least four other agencies reportedly believe Covid spread naturally from animals to humans, but their findings are also of low confidence, while the CIA and one other unnamed agency have not reached a determination yet. None of the findings so far indicate Covid was leaked deliberately as part of any biological weapons program, according to the&nbsp;<em>Journal</em>—a theory that was dismissed in a 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Declassified-Assessment-on-COVID-19-Origins.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Intelligence Council report</a>. The scientific community had coalesced around the idea that Covid likely spread from an animal to humans, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/02/28/covid-lab-leak-theory-some-government-agencies-believe-it-heres-why-most-scientists-dont/">many scientists still believe</a>&nbsp;a natural origin is the most likely scenario, but the origins have long been unclear as China has resisted working with international investigators. What is generally agreed upon is that the virus emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, which was the site of the first major outbreak. Wuhan is the site of the Wuhan Institute of Virology—a Chinese government facility dedicated to studying viruses, and coronaviruses in particular.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTRA</h2>



<p>Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Monday the U.S.<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/27/china-responds-to-lab-leak-report-says-us-is-politicizing-search-for-covid-origins/?sh=7fb931845156">&nbsp;is “politicizing” Covid’s origins</a>&nbsp;as part of a “smear” campaign.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/02/26/covid-likely-originated-from-lab-leak-energy-department-reportedly-finds-but-biden-aide-says-theres-no-definitive-answer/?sh=14ba5c281109">Covid Likely Originated From Lab Leak, Energy Department Reportedly Finds—But Biden Aide Says There’s No ‘Definitive Answer’</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/02/27/china-responds-to-lab-leak-report-says-us-is-politicizing-search-for-covid-origins/?sh=7fb931845156">China Responds To Lab Leak Report—Says U.S. Is ‘Politicizing’ Search For Covid Origins</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><em><strong>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</strong></em></p>


gettyimages-1201569878-594×594

FBI Director Says Covid Likely Spread From Wuhan Lab


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Shares of Novavax fell more than 25% in after-hours trading Tuesday, following a dismal fourth quarter earnings report and a<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/2023-02-28-Novavax-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2022-Financial-Results-and-Operational-Highlights" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> warning</a> from the Covid vaccine maker that uncertainty over future funding for coronavirus shots has prompted “substantial doubt” about its ability to stay in business.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The company’s stock price rose more than 6.8% to $9.26 before the market closed Tuesday but plummeted some 25.7% to $6.88 following the after-hours earnings report.</p>



<p>Novavax reported fourth quarter losses of $182 million after only posting $357 million in sales—well below expectations of $383 million.</p>



<p>Its statement about future financial framework was even more troubling, saying, “substantial doubt exists regarding our ability to continue” over the next year.</p>



<p>The company stated it believes it has enough capital to run for another year, but the forecast is of low confidence, in part because the Biden Administration is expected to<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/04/us-plans-to-stop-buying-covid-shots-in-the-fall-what-that-means.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> stop</a> buying Covid vaccines and distributing them to Americans for free at some point this year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Novavax will likely cut some jobs to reduce its “hot rate” of spending, CEO John Jacobs told<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novavax-raises-doubts-about-its-ability-remain-business-2023-02-28/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Reuters</a>. The company says it has more than 1,500 employees.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re in the process of assessing the global footprint of Novavax, rationalizing our supply chain, rationalizing the portfolio and rationalizing the company structure and our infrastructure,&#8221; Jacobs told Reuters.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine was the first product the 36-year-old company brought to the market. It was<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/health/coronavirus-vaccine-novavax.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reportedly</a>&nbsp;nearing collapse in 2020 before the Trump Administration awarded it a $1.6 billion contract to develop a vaccine as part of Operation Warp Speed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Novavax’s stock traded at more than $300 at times in 2021 as investors put high hopes in its development of a protein-based vaccine, a more traditional method compared with Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA approach. Continued manufacturing problems led to a delay in winning regulatory approval, and by the time<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/13/fda-authorizes-novavaxs-covid-19-vaccine-for-adults/?sh=31d2d61e54f3">&nbsp;Novavax’s shot became available</a>&nbsp;in July 2022, Americans’ initial rush to get<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/#us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;vaccinated</a>&nbsp;was long over. Novavax’s vaccine was the fourth to reach the U.S. market, entering U.S. arms more than a year after Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson. Only about 80,000 Novavax shots have reportedly been given in the U.S., compared to hundreds of millions of Pfizer and Moderna doses. Novavax<a href="https://ir.novavax.com/2022-02-23-Novavax-Announces-Shipments-of-its-COVID-19-Vaccine-to-European-Union-Member-States" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;won</a>&nbsp;approval in the European Union several months before its U.S. rollout, but it was still well behind competitors, and its international campaign has not been enough to overcome a slow rate of uptake in the United States.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/07/13/fda-authorizes-novavaxs-covid-19-vaccine-for-adults/?sh=31d2d61e54f3">FDA Authorizes Novavax’s Covid-19 Vaccine For Adults</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/health/coronavirus-vaccine-novavax.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How a Struggling Company Won $1.6 Billion to Make a Coronavirus Vaccine</a> (New York Times)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Vaccinations at Egoli Township as Omicron Cases Spread

Novavax Stock Plunges 25% As Vaccine Maker Has ‘Substantial Doubt’ About Staying In Business


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>After a slew of data showing the economy in a much more precarious position than previously believed, the stock market could be poised for another forceful plunge in March, according to Morgan Stanley’s investment chief, who notes that the last month of the quarter has been difficult for stocks over the year, as investors gear up for a fresh round of negative earnings reports.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Though high inflation and Federal Reserve interest rate hikes have fueled much of the fears driving the ongoing stock weakness, the depth and length of most bear markets are determined by the trend in earnings projections, the Morgan Stanley team led by Michael Wilson told clients in a Monday note.</p>



<p>Over the past year, stocks have rallied as corporate earnings come out, but then plunged in the month leading up to new reports, which have consistently shown companies cutting profit expectations.</p>



<p>After surging more than 16% since October and then abruptly falling 3% last week, the S&amp;P 500 is at a “critical” level, cautions Wilson, saying there’s a “high risk” the bear market could induce a forceful stock plunge in March (the last month of the quarter)—particularly since earnings are expected to take another hit once reports start trickling in.</p>



<p>“Ultimately, we think this rally is a bull trap,” he notes, positing the S&amp;P &#8220;may have one last stand&#8221; but then could plunge as much as 13% more until earnings projections stop falling—which the analyst believes won’t happen for “several more months, if not quarters.”</p>



<p>The Fed’s “relentless” efforts to slow down the economy will “inevitably” hurt earnings and push stocks to a new multi-year low, says Principal Asset Management’s Seema Shah, who is telling investors to brace for increased volatility since it’s become increasingly clear this year that the Fed is not yet finished with its rate hikes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>After a &#8220;particularly tough&#8221; year for stocks and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1139572/why-are-bonds-selling-off-again" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fed-induced</a>&nbsp;global bond market selloff, yields on the ten-year Treasury are now more than twice the S&amp;P’s estimated dividend yield—bad news for stocks but an opportunity for investors looking to lock in income with a less volatile asset, says Shah.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Texas factory activity fell in February for the first time since May 2020, according to the Dallas Fed’s manufacturing survey&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasfed.org/research/surveys/tmos/2023/2302" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">released</a>&nbsp;Monday. “February has been a slow month—it is hard to know why, but our outlook has worsened for both our business and retail activity in general,” one respondent said, while another posited, “We are not sure if it’s the Fed jacking with interest rates or some sort of cyclical slowdown, but it feels like business has ground to a halt.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>After hitting a near two-year low in October, stocks rallied as signs that inflation was slowing started to abound, but this month has shown the journey to normal price levels may be much longer than many hope. On Friday, the Commerce Department&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bea.gov/news/2023/personal-income-and-outlays-january-2023" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;the prices consumers paid for goods and services last month edged up 5.4% from a year ago—up from 5.3% one month prior despite expectations calling for a decline. Though it’s unclear when the Fed will stop raising rates, analysts at Goldman and Bank of America added another rate hike to their forecasts following another hotter-than-expected inflation reading earlier this month. They now expect the central bank will raise rates to a top level of 5.5%, potentially hitting the highest level in more than 20 years.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/24/dow-falls-400-points-as-surprisingly-hot-inflation-data-threatens-more-aggressive-fed-policy/">Dow Falls 400 Points As Surprisingly Hot Inflation Data Threatens More Aggressive Fed Policy</a> <em>(Forbes)</em></p>



<p><strong><em>By Jonathan Ponciano, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Markets Open After Falling More 800 Points On Tuesday

Stock Market At ‘Critical’ Level And Braced For ‘High Risk’ Of Collapse In March—Here’s What Investors Should Know


<p><strong>The aircraft are already here. Pilot unions are preparing for battle. And the FAA is playing it cool. Autonomous flight is coming to civil aviation sooner than anyone thinks, and it may prove to be a surprising boon for flyover country.</strong></p>



<p>InJanuary, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun revealed an open secret in the world of aviation. “I think the future of autonomy is real for civil,” he told&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2023-01-31/boeing-ceo-on-747-end-china-orders-and-autonomous-jets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bloomberg TV</a>, before quickly offering some qualifiers. “It’s going to take time. Everyone’s got to build confidence. We need a certification process that we all have faith and believe in.”</p>



<p>The U.S. military has been flying autonomous planes for decades, of course, but always in a segregated airspace. Now it’s becoming increasingly clear that self-flying planes are coming to commercial aviation, and not in some distant&nbsp;<em>Jetsons</em>&nbsp;future world. Aircraft manufacturers are working toward it. Airlines are eager for it. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is preparing for it. And pilot unions acknowledge the threat is looming on the horizon.</p>



<p>A decade ago, the conversation was largely speculative. But today, many in the aviation industry believe that small, self-flying planes could be carrying passengers by the end of this decade. Then, barring no major safety incidents, it could take as little as another decade before larger passenger jets operate without a pilot on the flight deck.</p>



<p>“It’s all about money,” says Dennis Tajer, a pilot for 35 years and the spokesman for Allied Pilots Association, which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots. “Manufacturers are looking for the next innovative technology to deploy so that they can sell it and make money, and airlines are looking at how they can do this more cheaply.”</p>



<p>It’s a charge that’s difficult to rebut. Six years ago, a report from the Swiss bank UBS estimated that autonomous planes could save the air transportation industry more than $35 billion per year. Still, the same report flagged a bright red public perception problem. A 2017 global survey found that a majority of people would be unwilling to fly in a plane without a pilot, even if the airfare were cheaper. The next year, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/Few-Would-be-Comfortable-with-Flying-on-Pilotless-Airliners" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">public survey from Ipsos</a>&nbsp;found that 81% of Americans would not be comfortable traveling on a self-flying plane. Notably, that survey was sponsored by the Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA), whose 65,000 members make up the largest pilot union in the country.</p>



<p>The introduction of autonomous aircraft into the civil aviation mix will begin with small cargo planes, led by companies like&nbsp;<a href="https://xwing.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xwing</a>, a Northern California-based startup. “We took an existing Cessna airframe,” says Xwing CEO Marc Piette, “which is the most widely used express cargo airframe, and we’ve been modifying that vehicle to convert it to a remotely-supervised vehicle. We think the cargo market is the best first place to deploy this. And we’ve been very deliberate.”</p>



<p>For the past few years, Xwing has been running automated test missions, mainly in California. A flight plan is submitted, just as if there were a human pilot, and the flight’s parameters are pre-programmed before takeoff. “It’s really a one-click thing,” Piette says. “You engage the system and it runs its mission.”</p>



<p>Until the technology is certified by the FAA, however, there will need to be a safety pilot on board. This allows Xwing to fly without jumping through regulatory hoops. “The safety pilot can disconnect a system and revert the aircraft to manual flying, but otherwise doesn’t do anything but monitor the system. It’s a very boring job,” Piette explains. Meanwhile, the Cessna is operated from the ground, with two human controllers watching a moving map on screens and interfacing with air traffic control.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“All of these companies are really looking forward to the day where there will not be a pilot on board.”</p>
</blockquote>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>Once the technology is certified, Xwing plans to introduce and operate these vehicles by late 2025 and then make it available to other operators. “To give you an example, FedEx has about 240 Cessna 208s for its U.S. network,” Piette says, alluding to the scalability of the venture. He expects his autonomous aircraft to be transporting human passengers by the end of this decade.</p>



<p>Xwing is certainly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2023/01/30/this-robot-electric-cargo-plane-could-be-the-start-of-a-wave-that-transforms-shipping">not the only manufacturer</a>&nbsp;working on autonomous cargo aircraft, but it has a secret weapon in its chief compliance and quality officer. Earl Lawrence knows a thing or two about FAA regulations, having recently left the agency, where he was the head of aircraft certification. Prior to that, Lawrence had started the FAA’s unmanned office. “One of the key things of bringing this category of aircraft to the cargo market is that we are not changing the rules. We are following the regulations,” he says, noting that some companies in the space have made proposals that do not comply with FAA regulations. “That’s what significantly slows things down.”</p>



<p>Few people know more about autonomous aircraft than Stephane Fymat, who heads up Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) at&nbsp;<a href="https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/about-us/blogs/aviations-future-is-safer-more-efficient-and-more-autonomous" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Honeywell</a>, which has a long history producing autopilot systems for Boeing Dreamliners, Gulfstream and Embraer jets as well as other aircraft.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/63f7cb3a3307e5f9d18ba85a/autonomous-plane-Pipistrel-and-Textron/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&amp;width=960" alt="autonomous plane Pipistrel and Textron"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">No Flying Zone: Pipistrel&#8217;s autonomous plane has plenty of room for cargo, but no cockpit for a pilot.<small>COURTESY OF PIPISTREL AND TEXTRON</small></figcaption></figure>



<p>Fymat shared with&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>&nbsp;a PowerPoint deck for a speech he has given at invitation-only industry conferences. After a brief introduction, a slide appears with six images laid out in a grid. Each shows an aircraft produced by one of Honeywell’s clients. Some are designed for cargo and others for passengers. In one photo, men are loading boxes into a cargo plane made by Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel, which Rhode Island-based Textron acquired last year. The plane does not even have a cockpit.</p>



<p>“Basically, most of them will start with a pilot now and move to having no pilot on board,” Fymat says of Honeywell’s partners. “A few of them want to do it within four or five years and some think it’s more like a 10-year range.”</p>



<p>One immediate advantage of pilot-free small planes is the increased capacity. Autonomy can immediately turn a six-passenger plane into seven-seater. “All of these companies are really looking forward to the day where there will not be a pilot on board,” Fymat says. “They’re all planning for it, in fact, and we’re helping them get there.”</p>



<p>“Cargo is an entryway drug for them,” Tajer says. “The script is to start with something that doesn’t sound like it’s going to hurt people. But the reality is that it’s still the same sky, and it’s still a metal tube in the air and passenger jets will be sharing the sky with them.”</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-readying-for-take-off"><strong>Readying for Take Off</strong></h3>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-self-flying-passenger-jets-will-be-airborne-by-the-2040s"><sup>How self-flying passenger jets will be airborne by the 2040s.</sup></h3>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong>2023</strong></p>
<cite>Various aircraft manufacturers are working with the FAA on certifying autonomous aircraft.</cite></blockquote>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong>2025-2026</strong></p>
<cite>The first self-flying cargo planes will enter civil aviation, sharing the skies with piloted airplanes.</cite></blockquote>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong>2030-2035</strong></p>
<cite>Small, self-flying planes will begin carrying passengers on short, regional flights.</cite></blockquote>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><strong>2040-2050</strong></p>
<cite>Larger passenger jets will begin operating without a pilot on the flight.</cite></blockquote>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p>For manufacturers, bringing new aircraft into the mix requires navigating the regulations of the FAA and the world’s other aviation authorities. “We have an application on an all-electric autonomous airplane that we refer to as Wisk,” Boeing’s Calhoun told Bloomberg. “That application is in and the FAA will begin working with us today on building out a certification program for autonomy and for Wisk. There’s so much to learn, so much to do, but it is being done.”</p>



<p>Some worry that the FAA may be too accommodating. “The FAA ebbs and flows between being a monolithic oversight authority to slowly, over time, becoming too cozy with the manufacturers and the airlines,” Tajer notes. “That’s a funding issue, it’s experience, and then it also can become a culture issue, which you don’t have to look too far back [<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/01/26/boeing-arraigned-in-court-over-737-max-crashes-two-years-after-25-billion-settlement/">to the 737 Max crashes</a>], to see what happens when there’s too cozy a relationship. The FAA just needs to stand firm on delivering the safest possible system out there.”</p>



<p>During the pandemic, some airlines quietly lobbied the agency to amend what’s known as Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, which requires scheduled carriers to have at least two qualified pilots on the flight deck, arguing that a single-pilot approach would help alleviate the pilot shortage. The FAA’s European counterpart&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2023/02/07/europe-aviation-2-pilots-in-cockpit/?sh=55960bde1e4c">recently ruled against</a>&nbsp;making such a change until 2030 at the earliest.</p>



<p>It’s a rationale echoed by manufacturers. “Look at the airliners that we fly in every day,” Fymat says. “They don’t yet take off by themselves. They don’t taxi by themselves. But once they’ve taken off, they’ll do the entire flight by themselves, and they will land by themselves if you wanted them to. Airplanes have been doing this for years.” He adds that it’s just a matter of time before jets can do it all. “Adding in the ability to divert and redo a flight plan because of an emergency or whatever, communicating with air traffic control, those are the next pieces. But the basics already there.”</p>



<p>Naturally, the idea of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2022/11/21/airlines-move-to-have-one-pilot-not-two-in-cost-cutting-solution/?sh=6e68e5374bc4">single-pilot flight decks</a>&nbsp;doesn’t sit well with pilots. “They’re talking about taking out that backup human system,” Tajer says. “Having that second pilot can be the difference between people getting hurt or them getting through an incident safely. And that’s because no matter how much technology you have, the importance of having another human being who has as much at risk and is committed to protecting those passengers in the back is what makes our safety system so successful here in the U.S.”</p>



<p>Meanwhile, automation is advancing. “AI technology is a big opportunity to establish the next generation of products in the industry, the epicenter of really, really powerful core technologies,” says Arne Stoschek, the head of machine learning and autonomy at Acubed, an Airbus innovation center. At Toulouse Airport, near Airbus headquarters in southwestern France, the manufacturer is testing a suite of pilot-assistance technologies in a demonstrator it calls&nbsp;<a href="https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2023-01-could-the-humble-dragonfly-help-pilots-during-flight" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DragonFly</a>. Much like how actual dragonflies can recognize landmarks while in flight, the aircraft’s systems use artificial intelligence and sensors on the outside of the plane to “see” features in the landscape and safely maneuver autonomously within its surroundings. To date, the capabilities include automated emergency diversion in cruise, automatic landing and taxi assistance.</p>



<p>In the near term, the greatest challenge for self-flying planes may be getting the public to accept them. Xwing’s Lawrence expects public perceptions to evolve with time. “As the technology gets rolled out, people will understand it better and trust it more,” he says.</p>



<p>Advocates point out that among the first beneficiaries will be people who live in rural locales far from major airports. “This isn’t just about getting somebody from downtown Wall Street to JFK in eight minutes flat, which is very valuable by the way,” Honeywell’s Fymat says. “It’s also about the rural community, who right now has no air service. Or the essential air service that they have is, like, once a week.”</p>



<p>Xwing’s Piette agrees. “The impact is going to be dramatic,” he says. “Among the reasons [regional airports] are losing commercial traffic today is that there’s a significant pilot shortage, which makes it very challenging to staff some of these routes. If you’re in places like Wichita or Louisville, good luck trying to find direct routes to wherever you want to go.” With a large volume of smaller aircraft, there can be a higher frequency of flights between any small-city destination pair, according to Piette. “And we can reinstate access to flights to small localities.”</p>



<p>Ultimately, Tajer argues, “it’s going to come down to whether people eventually get used to the idea. And I don’t know, but when you’re in the sky, and it’s noisy, and the aircraft is doing things you’ve never felt before, and nobody’s in the cockpit, you might be thinking, ‘I sure hope that kid down on the ground at the computer has got this stuff figured out, because my family’s lives depend on it.’ That’s a big hump to get over.”</p>



<p><strong><em>By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


US-AIRPLANE-TRAVEL-TRANSPORT

No Pilot, No Problem? Here’s How Soon Self-Flying Planes Will Take Off


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The roaring success of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot created by U.S. non-profit OpenAI, has sparked a frantic rush to get new AI products to market, a frenzy that is consuming tech’s biggest behemoths and countless startups as they fight for space in the emerging sector.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Microsoft, which has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/23/business/microsoft-chatgpt-artificial-intelligence.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">invested</a>&nbsp;billions in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, swiftly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/microsoft-ai-chatgpt-bing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tapped</a>&nbsp;the chatbot to enhance its Bing search engine and Edge web browser and is betting big that AI will define the next generation of big tech.</p>



<p>The decision <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/10/google-employees-slam-ceo-sundar-pichai-for-rushed-bard-announcement.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goaded</a> Google into <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/02/06/google-to-release-chatbot-following-chatgpt-frenzy/?sh=3009b4873961">launching</a> its own AI chatbot, Bard, which gave an incorrect answer in a promotional video, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">failed</a> to impress investors and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/08/alphabet-google-stock-plunge-erases-100-billion-after-new-ai-chatbot-gives-wrong-answer-in-ad/?sh=d855ee355ce8">erased</a> $100 billion in value from parent company Alphabet.</p>



<p>Chinese tech giant Baidu <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/baidus-chatgpt-like-app-will-revolutionise-its-search-engine-says-ceo-2023-02-22/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-baidu-inc-china-artificial-intelligence-427838070f962108cabed1e553fc3d12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plans</a> to integrate its AI chatbot Ernie into its search engine services from March, though little is known about its capabilities.</p>



<p>Other Chinese&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/23/business/dealbook/china-ai-chatgpt.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behemoths</a>&nbsp;including Alibaba, JD.com and WeChat parent Tencent have stated they are working on ChatGPT-like products of their own, though details are sparse and they have not outlined specific timetables for when they will implement them.</p>



<p>Among U.S. giants, Apple has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-cook-apple-ai-chatgpt-strategy-competition-2023-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conspicuously absent&nbsp;</a>from the AI race but is<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/apple-launching-ai-chatbot-rival-siri-chatgpt-b1060568.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reportedly making moves</a>&nbsp;signaling a launch is on the horizon and on Tuesday Amazon, which has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-ceo-andy-jassy-on-chat-cpt-ai-2023-2?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">working</a>&nbsp;on similar tech for a long time,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-02-21/amazons-aws-hugging-face-ai-deals-chatgpt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;a partnership with Hugging Face, an AI startup developing a ChatGPT rival.</p>



<p>WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta, long a leader in the AI space, is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/meta-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;state=default&amp;module=styln-artificial-intelligence&amp;variant=show&amp;region=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&amp;block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a> more than capable of holding its own against rivals like ChatGPT but has held back over fears its AI tool would help spread false, biased or misleading information, already major problems on its platforms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The launch of OpenAi’s ChatGPT has triggered a gold rush in Silicon Valley and other global tech hubs around the world, and companies are now rushing to keep pace or get behind. The tech is grouped under the heading generative artificial intelligence, an umbrella term for systems that can produce new text, images, video and other outputs like code and music on their own. It takes vast amounts of data to train such systems and the output, which depends on the data used to train it, can reflect any biases, errors or falsities inherent in the original dataset. The ability for products like ChatGPT to generate novel content has been heralded as the dawn of a new age and in the few short months ChatGPT has been available to the public it has already threatened to disrupt numerous fields and raised new questions for businesses. Teachers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">struggling</a>&nbsp;with how to handle, or detect, students using the chatbot to cheat,&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/clarkesword-neil-clarke-chatgpt-ai-q-and-a-1850144881" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">publishers</a>&nbsp;have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/chatgpt-launches-boom-ai-written-e-books-amazon-2023-02-21/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inundated</a>&nbsp;with a flood of AI-generated content of questionable quality and media outlets are looking at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/4fae2380-d7a7-410c-9eed-91fd1411f977" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">using the tool</a>&nbsp;to write news stories. JPMorgan Chase has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/22/jpmorgan-chase-restricts-staffers-use-of-chatgpt/?sh=249d5cdf6bc7">restricted</a>&nbsp;the use of ChatGPT by staff, reportedly due to regulatory concerns over sharing data. Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-chatgpt-openai-warns-employees-not-share-confidential-information-microsoft-2023-1?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly</a>&nbsp;has similar fears. ChatGPT has been banned in its entirety in China. The restrictive state, no stranger to limiting content its citizens can access online,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/23/china-chatgpt-clamp-down-propaganda" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clamped down</a>&nbsp;on the tool and called it an instrument of Western propaganda.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/16/bing-chatbots-unhinged-responses-going-viral/?sh=74a3f08110c6">Bing Chatbot’s ‘Unhinged’ Responses Going Viral</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2023/02/02/inside-chatggpts-breakout-moment-and-the-race-for-the-future-of-ai/?sh=7c094084240b">Inside ChatGPT’s Breakout Moment And The Race To Put AI To Work</a>(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/02/16/microsoft-bing-ai-chat-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The new Bing told our reporter it ‘can feel or think things’</a>&nbsp;(Washington Post)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/technology/meta-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;state=default&amp;module=styln-artificial-intelligence&amp;variant=show&amp;region=BELOW_MAIN_CONTENT&amp;block=storyline_flex_guide_recirc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta, Long an A.I. Leader, Tries Not to Be Left Out of the Boom</a> (NYT)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


In this photo illustration, the ChatGPT (OpenAI) logo is

ChatGPT’s Biggest Competition: Here Are The Companies Working On Rival AI Chatbots


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Moderna on Wednesday <a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-And-Life-Edit-Therapeutics-Enter-Strategic-Collaboration-to-Accelerate-the-Development-of-Novel-In-Vivo-Gene-Editing-Therapies/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> a new partnership with Life Edit Therapeutics geared towards finding and developing treatments for rare genetic diseases and other conditions, as the Massachusetts biotech moves to expand its offerings and build on the successes of its mRNA Covid-19 vaccine.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Moderna said it will combine Life Edit Therapeutics’ gene editing tools and the mRNA technology underpinning its Covid vaccine to discover and develop treatments—and possibly permanent cures—for a set of unnamed conditions and genetic diseases.</p>



<p>The companies will collaborate on research and preclinical studies, funded by Moderna, and Moderna will take charge of any further development, manufacturing and commercialization should it choose to.</p>



<p>Life Edit Therapeutics, a privately-owned subsidiary of cell and gene therapy company ElevateBio, will receive an upfront cash payment and could receive milestone payments and royalties from products resulting from the collaboration.</p>



<p>Moderna said the partnership is in line with its goal to cure “some of the most challenging genetic diseases.”</p>



<p>Neither company disclosed financial details of the deal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines is the firm’s only product on the market. Though highly successful and still expected to rake in billions, the firm is pushing hard to expand its offerings. It has been <a href="https://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/moderna-takes-another-expansion-step-snapping-up-japanese-mrna-company" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">buying</a> up and making deals with other biotech firms, developing <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/01/06/cancer-vaccine-trials-using-same-mrna-tech-behind-covid-shots-could-launch-in-uk-this-september/">cancer vaccines </a>and has a <a href="https://www.modernatx.com/research/product-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pipeline</a> of other mRNA vaccines and treatments—including for flu, RSV, HIV, Zika and cystic fibrosis—in the works.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT WE DON’T KNOW</h2>



<p>It’s not clear what diseases or conditions Moderna and Life Edit are hoping to target, though the announcement says they are working “to advance potentially life-transformative or curative therapies for some of the most challenging genetic diseases.” ElevateBio chief executive David Hallal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/moderna-life-edit-therapeutics-team-hopes-developing-next-gen-gene-therapies" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">told</a>&nbsp;Fierce Biotech both companies are “well aware of what it is we’re going to focus on” and are ready to hit the ground running. “For competitive reasons, it makes a lot of sense for us to not disclose all of the exciting areas that we&#8217;re working on together,” Hallal explained.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>$18.4 billion. That’s how much Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-generates-184-billion-covid-vaccine-sales-2022-2023-01-09/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;sales of its Covid-19 vaccine generated in 2022. The figure is&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2022/Moderna-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-Year-2021-Financial-Results-and-Provides-Business-Updates/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">similar</a>&nbsp;to the amount generated from the vaccine the year before. Sales are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-generates-184-billion-covid-vaccine-sales-2022-2023-01-09/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">expected</a>&nbsp;to nosedive in 2023, however, and the company expects to take around $5 billion in sales.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ba2cba41-0a13-4251-bbd7-2abeff90433f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pfizer pins hopes on record pipeline to recover from post-Covid hangover</a>&nbsp;(FT)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/01/06/cancer-vaccine-trials-using-same-mrna-tech-behind-covid-shots-could-launch-in-uk-this-september/?sh=13dd003b4899">Cancer Vaccine Trials—Using Same mRNA Tech Behind Covid Shots—Could Launch In U.K. This September</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


A Covid-19 Vaccination Site As Children Under 5-Years Old Become Eligible For Shot

Moderna Hopes To Build On mRNA Tech Used In Its Covid Shots—By Targeting Genetic Diseases


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The Supreme Court considers how responsible major social media platforms—Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, especially—are for their most dangerous posts, challenging broad protections that tech companies claim are necessary to keep the Internet from turning into a bleak wasteland, but that critics claim go too far.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/10/03/supreme-court-to-consider-whether-tech-companies-like-google-facebook-can-be-held-liable-for-content-recommendations/?sh=7afbc97f3c5c">will hear</a>&nbsp;oral arguments Monday in the case (Gonzalez v. Google) where family members of a victim in the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks sued Google, alleging YouTube (a Google company) should be held liable after its algorithm recommended ISIS recruitment videos to potential supporters, and hear arguments Wednesday in Twitter v. Taamneh, which takes similar aim against social media companies over their role in a 2017 terrorist attack in Turkey.</p>



<p>The first case challenges whether YouTube can be held liable for the recommendations it makes under <a href="https://www.theverge.com/21273768/section-230-explained-internet-speech-law-definition-guide-free-moderation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Section 230</a> of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which shields social media platforms and other Internet companies from legal liability by saying they’re not legally responsible for third-party content posted on their platform.</p>



<p>Tech platforms including Google, Meta, Twitter, Microsoft, Yelp, Reddit, Craigslist, Wikipedia and others have argued in filings that a court ruling saying YouTube can be held liable would have disastrous consequences, resulting in online platforms broadly restricting any content that could possibly be considered legally objectionable—or taking the opposite approach and leaving everything up with no filtering of obviously problematic content.</p>



<p>First Amendment advocacy groups including the ACLU and Knight Foundation have warned such restrictions could chill free speech, and if tech platforms are forced to get rid of recommendation algorithms, Google argued the Internet could turn into a “disorganized mess and a litigation minefield.”</p>



<p>The Twitter case, which also involves Facebook and Google, doesn’t concern Section 230, but instead asks if social media companies can be held responsible under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows lawsuits against anyone who “aids and abets” an act of international terrorism.</p>



<p>After a lower court found that merely knowing terrorists were among the company’s users would be enough grounds for a lawsuit, Twitter argued a ruling against it would also result in “particularly broad liability” for social media companies, and Facebook and Google suggested that could extend to other organizations who may have to work, even indirectly, with terrorists, including humanitarian groups that work on the ground in countries like Syria.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CHIEF CRITIC</h2>



<p>The plaintiffs who sued Google rejected the dire predictions made by tech companies in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/254251/20230207191257813_GonzalezRepyMeritsPrinted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brief</a>&nbsp;to the court, arguing they’re overbroad and “largely unrelated to the specific issues” in the case. “Predictions that a particular decision of this Court will have dire consequences are easy to make, but often difficult to evaluate,” the petitioners argued, noting that while social media companies still have other legal safeguards in place to protect them like the First Amendment, there’s “no denying that the materials being promoted on social media sites have in fact caused serious harm.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTRA</h2>



<p>The Biden Administration has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249441/20221207203557042_21-1333tsacUnitedStates.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">argued</a>&nbsp;the Supreme Court should narrow the scope of Section 230 to make it more possible to sue social media platforms, warning against an “overly broad reading” of the statute that could “undermine the importance of other federal statutes.” The White House argued Section 230 does not protect YouTube from lawsuits against harmful recommendations its algorithm makes, given that its recommendations are created by the company and not content from third parties. Supporters of the plaintiffs have also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-case-heads-to-supreme-court-with-powerful-internet-shield-law-at-stake-e548e241?mod=e2tw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suggested</a>&nbsp;a ruling against Google could help social media platforms clean up algorithms that have resulted in harmful recommendations for minors, with the Electronic Privacy Information Center&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249376/20221207151042885_21-1333%20Electronic%20Privacy%20Information%20Center%20Amicus%20Brief%20in%20Support%20of%20Neither%20Party.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arguing</a>&nbsp;social media companies take advantage of Section 230’s broad nature and “use Section 230 as a shield instead of making their products safer.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“Denying Section 230(c)(1)’s protection to YouTube’s recommendation display could have devastating spillover effects,” Google argued to the court in a brief, arguing that gutting Section 230 “would upend the internet and perversely encourage both wide ranging suppression of speech and the proliferation of more offensive speech.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>Rulings in the two cases will come by the time the Supreme Court’s term wraps up in late June or early July. It’s also possible the court won’t issue a sweeping ruling on when social media companies can be held liable under Section 230: Google argued if the court throws out the Twitter case by saying the victim’s family didn’t have grounds to sue, it could also dismiss the Google case on the same grounds without getting into Section 230 at all.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>The Google case comes to the Supreme Court after lower district and appeals courts have both sided with the social media platform, ruling it’s protected by Section 230 and can’t be sued. The case was heard together with the Twitter case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but the appeals court ruled against the social media platforms in the Twitter case, holding that Twitter, Facebook and Google could all be held liable under anti-terrorism laws even as it separately upheld Section 230’s protections. The social media cases come to the Supreme Court as the increasing power of Big Tech and platforms’ failure to successfully moderate harmful content have come under fire from both sides of the political aisle, and the Supreme Court took up the cases after conservative-leaning Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court should&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/04/05/984440891/justice-clarence-thomas-takes-aims-at-tech-and-its-power-to-cut-off-speech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consider</a>&nbsp;the issue of Section 230.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Republican lawmakers have particularly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/15/house-republicans-outline-principles-for-reforming-section-230.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">taken aim</a>&nbsp;at Section 230 and sought to hold social media companies more legally accountable, as they’ve accused social media companies of chilling conservatives’ speech. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led 11 GOP lawmakers in filing a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-1333/249351/20221207133438524_Gonzalez%20Amicus%2020221207%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brief</a>arguing for the Supreme Court to narrow the scope of Section 230, arguing social media companies have used the broad interpretation of the statute to “[not be] shy about restricting access and removing content based on the politics of the speaker.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2022/10/03/supreme-court-to-consider-whether-tech-companies-like-google-facebook-can-be-held-liable-for-content-recommendations/?sh=7afbc97f3c5c">Supreme Court To Consider Whether Tech Companies—Like Google, Twitter—Can Be Held Liable For Content Recommendations</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/21273768/section-230-explained-internet-speech-law-definition-guide-free-moderation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Everything you need to know about Section 230</a>&nbsp;(The Verge)</p>



<p><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/18/tech/section-230-explainer/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">These 26 words ‘created the internet.’ Now the Supreme Court may be coming for them</a> (CNN)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Alison Durkee, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Twitter And Elon Musk Photo Illustrations

Should YouTube, Twitter Be More Responsible For Dangerous Content? Supreme Court Considers Tech Critics


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The FDA is expected to make a decision on RSV vaccine approval by the fall in anticipation for the winter—and here are some of the top contenders that have shown promising signs in trials.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory infection that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but can lead to serious lung infections—children, older adults and those with underlying health conditions are the most susceptible,&nbsp;<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/respiratorysyncytialvirusinfections.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to MedlinePlus.</p>



<p>The virus gained momentum during the winter season, causing 47.9 for every 100,000 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hospitalizations</a> during the 2022-2023 season, and over 126,000 detected <a href="https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/rsv-surges-early-in-2022-but-appears-to-make-early-retreat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cases</a> between October 2022 and November 2022.</p>



<p>Prominent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">symptoms</a>&nbsp;include a runny nose, cough, fever, wheezing, decrease in appetite and sneezing, but infants may only show irritability, have breathing difficulties or decreased activity.</p>



<p>No RSV vaccine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but the first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-policy-and-standards/standards-and-specifications/vaccine-standardization/respiratory-syncytial-virus-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">attempt</a>&nbsp;was made in the 1960s, which was unsuccessful as it led to severe and lethal cases of lung inflammatory response in infants.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.path.org/resources/rsv-and-mab-trial-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">According</a> to public health nonprofit PATH, there are 11 RSV vaccines being studied in trials—four are designed for infants and seven are for older adults.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Almost all children will have had an RSV infection by their second birthday, and most infections go away on their own,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/symptoms.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>Dr. Barney Graham, a senior adviser for global health equity at Morehouse School of Medicine, told NBC News he believes all the vaccines “are going to work well enough to be approved, depending on the side effect profiles.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">VACCINES FOR OLDER ADULTS (60 AND UP)</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>GLAXOSMITHKLINE’S</strong>&nbsp;phase three trial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2209604" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;on the GSK vaccine’s efficiency, as published in the<em>&nbsp;New England Journal of Medicine&nbsp;</em>on Wednesday, found the shot lowered the risk of severe illness by 94% and of symptomatic illness by 83% in adults 60 years and older. Participants with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/comorbidities.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">comorbidities</a>&nbsp;(having more than one disease or illness at a time), who are at an increased risk of severe outcome from RSV, also saw positive results from the vaccine. The most common adverse events from the shot were pain at injection site, fatigue, headache and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/myalgia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myalgia</a>&nbsp;(muscle aches and pain). A previous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-s-older-adult-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccine-candidate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>&nbsp;published in October 2022 reported the vaccine had an overall vaccine efficiency of 82.6% in adults 60 years and older.</li>



<li><strong>Johnson &amp; Johnson’s</strong>&nbsp;vaccine phase two trial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2207566" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>&nbsp;published in the&nbsp;<em>New England Journal of Medicine&nbsp;</em>on Wednesday saw an 80% vaccine efficiency rate in adults 65 years and older. The study’s main goal was preventing the occurrence of lower respiratory tract infection as a result of RSV, and the protection ranged from 80% in preventing lower respiratory tract infections, and 70% for milder cases. Serious adverse events were reported in 4.6% of vaccine participants and 4.7% of the placebo group.</li>



<li><strong>Moderna’s</strong>&nbsp;vaccine for older adults is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00126-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">messenger RNA</a>(mRNA) vaccine, similar to its Covid shot. The vaccine uses mRNA, which helps give instructions to the body’s cells, allowing them to create small parts of the RSV virus that creates an immune response in the body. In January, Moderna&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Announces-mRNA-1345-an-Investigational-Respiratory-Syncytial-Virus-RSV-Vaccine-Has-Met-Primary-Efficacy-Endpoints-in-Phase-3-Trial-in-Older-Adults/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announce</a>d findings from a trial, which found the vaccine to be 83.7% effective at protecting against RSV-related lower respiratory tract infection. The FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2023/Moderna-Granted-FDA-Breakthrough-Therapy-Designation-for-mRNA-1345-An-Investigational-Respiratory-Syncytial-Virus-RSV-Vaccine-Candidate/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">granted</a>&nbsp;the shot breakthrough therapy designation at the end of January.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">VACCINES FOR THE ELDERLY AND INFANTS</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Pfizer</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-positive-top-line-data-phase-3-trial-older" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>&nbsp;its RSV vaccine reduced the risk of severe illness in older adults by 86%. In November 2022, the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer-announces-positive-top-line-data-phase-3-global" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;findings from a trial that instead administered the shot to pregnant people. The vaccine was 82% effective against severe illness in infants during their first 90 days of life, and 69% effective for up to six months. Pfizer is the only company preparing an RSV vaccine for older adults and for infants through maternal immunization. The FDA accepted Pfizer&#8217;s bid for priority review of its RSV vaccine in December 2022.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">VACCINES/TREATMENT FOR INFANTS</h2>



<ul>
<li><strong>Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s</strong>&nbsp;injection isn’t technically a vaccine, however, it would work the same. It is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/monoclonal-antibody" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monoclonal antibody injection</a>&nbsp;(a lab made protein used to bind to certain targets of the body to fight infection) for infants up to 24 months. The vaccine (labeled as Beyfortus and generic name nirsevimab)&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2023/2023-01-05-07-00-00-2583365" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">showed</a>&nbsp;an 80% protection rate against severe illness in babies. It was granted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2022/2022-11-04-07-00-00-2548492" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approval</a>&nbsp;by the European Commission in November 2022, and the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2023/nirsevimab-us-regulatory-submission-accepted-for-the-prevention-of-rsv-lower-respiratory-tract-disease-in-infants-and-children.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accepted</a>&nbsp;its submission for biologics license application in January.</li>



<li><strong>SOBI’s</strong>&nbsp;monoclonal antibody injection Synagis (generic name palivizumab) is similar to Sanofi and AstraZeneca because it also technically isn’t a vaccine, though it’s administered to high risk infants to protect against RSV. It was&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.centerwatch.com/directories/1067-fda-approved-drugs/listing/4243-synagis-palivizumab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">approved</a>&nbsp;by the FDA in 1998 while it was still manufactured by AstraZeneca (the company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2018/astrazeneca-to-divest-us-synagis-rights-to-sobi131120180.html#modal-historic-confirmation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transferred</a>&nbsp;vaccine rights to SOBI in 2019). Infants are only&nbsp;<a href="https://www.synagis.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">qualified</a>&nbsp;for treatment if they meet at least one of these requirements: they were born prematurely and are six months old or less at the start of RSV season, they were born with certain types of heart conditions and are 24 months or less at the start of RSV season, or they have a chronic lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, that needed medical attention within the last six months and they are 24 months or less at the start of RSV season.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rsv-vaccine-candidates-timeline-fda-approval-rcna70777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The race to an RSV vaccine could soon be over, decades after the first attempt</a>&nbsp;(NBC News)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/lung-respiratory/first-fda-approved-rsv-vaccines-expected-within-months/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">First FDA-Approved RSV Vaccines Expected Within Months</a>&nbsp;(Everyday Health)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ninashapiro/2022/11/01/who-can-receive-the-currently-available-rsv-vaccine/?sh=693027a444f3">Who Can Receive The Currently Available RSV ‘Vaccine’?</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Arianna Johnson, Forbes Staff </em></strong></p>


Human respiratory syncytial virus inoculation

First FDA-Approved RSV Vaccines Expected Later This Year: The Top Vaccines And Their Effectiveness

Red Black Fitness & Gym Presentation Template

AFRICA’S RICHEST PEOPLE 2023


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The number of top-grossing movies starring women and women of color increased slightly last year, according to <a href="https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-inequality-1600-films-20230216.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an annual study</a> released Thursday from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC, but the number of films starring people of color decreased.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Of the 100 top-earning domestic movies released in 2022, 44% featured female-identified actors in leading or co-leading roles, compared to 41% that did in 2021—under the 50% of the U.S. population women make up.</p>



<p>This is an improvement from 2007, when just 20% of the top 100 movies had women in leading or co-leading roles.</p>



<p>Of those same 100 films, 29% featured an actor from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group in a leading or co-leading role, down from 32% in 2021 but up from 13% in 2007, and notably below the 40.7% that these groups make up in the U.S. population.</p>



<p>The largest increase was for women of color: 16 of the top 100 movies in 2022 featured a woman of color in a leading role, up from the 11 that did in 2021; two movies also featured nonbinary actors in leading or co-leading roles.</p>



<p>Women over the age of 45 starred in 10 of the top films last year, compared to 35 movies that featured men in this age group in leading roles.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>31%. That’s how many of the top 100 films per year since 2007—1,600 in total—starred a woman or girl.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Women and people of color have historically been excluded from leading roles in films, as well as in the director’s chair. In 2015, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite went viral, when the Academy—whose&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/22332389/oscars-academy-diversity-membership-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voting members</a>&nbsp;were overwhelmingly white—nominated 20 white actors for its honors. The creator of the movement, April Reign, wrote for&nbsp;<a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/oscarssowhite-nominations-diversity-april-reign-1203467389/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Variety</em></a>in 2020 that she has often received pushback along the lines of: “Well, there just weren’t enough diverse films to nominate.” And while people of color are still underrepresented, there has been progress, making their exclusion from awards shows a noticeable problem. “When we have this wealth of talent in front of and behind the camera, and they are still not recognized by what is considered the pinnacle in the industry, then we need to take a closer examination” of the Academy and the industry, Reign wrote. In 2018, Natalie Portman made headlines when she called out the “all-male nominees” when presenting the Golden Globe for Best Director. The Oscars did not nominate any women in its Best Directing category this year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CRUCIAL QUOTE</h2>



<p>“The pace of industry change is certainly not a breakneck one,” the Annenberg study said. “The advocacy and activism that may have fueled change in the mid- to late-2010s may have had a short-term impact, but more is needed to achieve lasting improvement.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Some of the 2022 films led by women of color included&nbsp;<em>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</em>,&nbsp;<em>Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</em>,&nbsp;<em>Nope</em>,&nbsp;<em>Scream</em>,&nbsp;<em>Everything Everywhere All At Once</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>The Woman King</em>. These performances were awarded at last month’s Golden Globes, where winners included Michelle Yeoh (Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy) and Angela Bassett (Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture), who were both also nominated for Oscars.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/01/10/golden-globes-2023-abbott-elementary-the-banshees-of-inisherin-win-big/?sh=bd44b0d59c58">Golden Globes 2023: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘The Banshees Of Inisherin’ Win Big</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="http://forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2023/01/24/oscar-nominations-2023everything-everywhere-all-at-once-leads-pack/?sh=282621a435e2">Oscar Nominations 2023: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ Leads Pack</a> (Forbes)</p>



<p><strong><em>By Marisa Dellatto, Forbes Africa</em></strong></p>


European Premiere of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

More Top Films Starred Women Of Color In 2022, Study Shows


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>Apple has pushed back the targeted launch date for a new mixed-reality headset from April to June, according to<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-15/apple-pushes-back-mixed-reality-headset-debut-two-months-to-june?sref=9hGJlFio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Bloomberg</a>, in the latest setback for the tech giant, which has not launched a major new product line since the Apple Watch in 2015.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>Apple developers are now reportedly hoping to unveil the headset at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference, after calling off a spring launch due to persistent issues in testing.</p>



<p>The most pressing problems still being worked on are sensor issues involving the eye and hand control mechanism, along with battery life, according to Bloomberg.</p>



<p>The headset is expected to offer a mix of full virtual reality and augmented reality—which overlays digital information onto a users’ real-world experience—and will reportedly utilize a new operating system similar to an iPhone interface.</p>



<p>Numerous concerns have also been raised about the headset’s<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2022/05/22/is-apple-about-to-debut-its-ar-headset-everything-we-know-so-far/?sh=605f1b943283">&nbsp;rumored $3,000 price tag</a>, which Bloomberg reports is a byproduct of using expensive materials like numerous cameras and 4K displays.</p>



<p>Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from&nbsp;<em>Forbes</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Some within the company are reportedly concerned about the market Apple is entering, given the tens of billions Meta has invested in the metaverse and virtual reality<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/08/17/does-mark-zuckerberg-not-understand-how-bad-his-metaverse-looks/?sh=1b6924d237d4">&nbsp;with little commercial success</a>. Apple CEO<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/tim-cook/">&nbsp;Tim Cook</a>&nbsp;has publicly criticized the headset<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/03/apple-ceo-tim-cook-doesnt-like-metaverse-prefers-augmented-reality.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;approach</a>&nbsp;of Meta and other big tech companies, saying last year, “I’m really not sure the average person can tell you what the metaverse is.” Cook has instead predicted augmented reality will be the true game changer, calling it “a profound technology that will affect everything.” Apple executives are betting on the headset being the company’s biggest new revenue source since its smartwatch launched, though it’s hoping tweaks to some of its longtime staple products could also boost sales.<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-11/apple-working-on-adding-touch-screens-to-macs-in-major-turnabout" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Bloomberg</a>&nbsp;reported last month the company is working to launch a touch-screen MacBook, despite company co-founder and longtime CEO Steve Jobs being adamantly opposed to the idea prior to his death in 2011.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>The major difference between the augmented reality Cook is pushing and the virtual reality experience&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/mark-zuckerberg/?sh=4bfc38c13e06">Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg</a>&nbsp;has promoted is that users are still fully aware of their real-life environment in augmented reality, where they interact with virtual components a headset places over their real space. Virtual reality is completely separate from the real environment, immersing a headset user in a digital world. Meta’s headsets offer both virtual and augmented reality experiences, but Zuckerberg has repeatedly said he sees a largely virtual metaverse–envisioned as essentially a broad collection of virtual worlds–as a revolutionary technical innovation that the company will be a pioneer in developing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">SURPRISING FACT</h2>



<p>Apple has also repeatedly pushed back the launch date<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/06/apple-scraps-plans-for-car-without-steering-wheel-or-pedals-report-says/?sh=47084c7da6db">&nbsp;for an autonomous vehicle</a>&nbsp;it has spent years developing in a secretive project, with 2026 the latest rumored target for release. The company<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-06/apple-scales-back-self-driving-car-and-delays-launch-until-2026" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;reportedly</a>&nbsp;scrapped plans last year for its car to run without a steering wheel or pedals.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-15/apple-pushes-back-mixed-reality-headset-debut-two-months-to-june?sref=9hGJlFio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Pushes Back Mixed-Reality Headset Debut Two Months to June</a>&nbsp;(Bloomberg)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidphelan/2022/05/22/is-apple-about-to-debut-its-ar-headset-everything-we-know-so-far/?sh=605f1b943283">Is Apple About To Debut Its AR Headset? Everything We Know So Far</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/08/17/does-mark-zuckerberg-not-understand-how-bad-his-metaverse-looks/?sh=1b6924d237d4">Does Mark Zuckerberg Not Understand How Bad His Metaverse Looks?</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/06/apple-scraps-plans-for-car-without-steering-wheel-or-pedals-report-says/?sh=47084c7da6db">Apple Scraps Plans For Car Without Steering Wheel Or Pedals, Report Says</a> (Forbes)<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/"></a></p>



<p><strong><em>By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


American multinational technology company Apple store seen

Apple Delays Launch Of Mixed-Reality Headset By 2 Months, Report Says


<p><strong>South Africa has produced some top talent in hockey, but it has also been held back in recent years. A lot more needs to be done but the team’s former coach, Garreth Ewing, left behind a stable ship, one where he worked hard to improve the culture within the team environment.</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong><em>By Nick Said</em></strong></p>



<p>South Africa’s 11th place finish at the recent 2023 Men&#8217;s FIH Hockey World Cup was perhaps below the ambitions of the team but should be measured against the realities the sport faces in a country where it is under-funded yet still manages to punch above its weight.</p>



<p>The side suffered two narrow pool stage losses to Argentina (0-1) and France (1-2) before a blow-out 2-9 defeat to Australia. That was followed by a 6-3 success against Malaysia and a 2-5 loss to India. All of those nations are positioned above South Africa in the global rankings, with three in the top seven, so the results also have to be taken in that context.</p>



<p>Hockey has a long and storied history in South Africa and the country has produced some top talent, but it has also been held back in recent years by a lack of funding and questionable administration that sees many players fighting between their passion for the game and the need to earn a living.</p>



<p>“The reality is we need to spend more time on the training ground. We are learning in competition, which is not ideal because there is no safety net,” former South Africa coach Garreth Ewing told FORBES AFRICA.</p>



<p>“The best-case scenario is to spend more time together playing games that are not in competition so we can build that experience base.</p>



<p>“For that to happen, it means more access to players, which in turn means supporting those players financially so they can spend time away from their jobs without the financial insecurity that would come with that.</p>



<p>“In an ideal world we would be together 10 months a year, but that is not realistic.”</p>



<p>Ewing stepped down suddenly in November last year, citing “an accumulation of events, interactions, conversations and situations over a span of months (which) were starting to impact on me, both personally and professionally.”</p>



<p>While Ewing, who led South Africa to the semifinals of the Commonwealth Games last year, did not go into specifics; it is clear that the burden of leading a national team in a highly competitive environment where resources are scarce is not an easy one.</p>



<p>“In many respects resigning was an act of self-care, nevertheless it was a sad decision, and something that will sit with me for a long time.”</p>



<p>But he left behind a stable ship, one where he worked hard to improve the culture within the team environment.</p>



<p>“We are always playing catch-up, that is our reality,” Ewing said. “But as a team, we (were) in a healthy position in terms of exposure of players and building experience in our core group.</p>



<p>“We (had) done some strong work culturally as a team as well and we are much more resilient and a more open environment for everybody,” he added.</p>


Author: Forbes

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA